Donations flood in for homeless man whose tent was set alight

Neil Bottomley was ‘devastated’ when he realised that the tent he sleeps inside in woodland near Broadbridge Heath had been destroyed.

Within hours of the County Times publishing an article this morning (Friday February 19), Horsham resident Tony Isted set up an online fundraising page.

To donate, click here.

Any funds or gifts will be passed to Neil via a Horsham-based charity, with exact details to follow.

Tony said: “As a resident of the Horsham district I feel it is disgusting that our residents get treated in such despicable ways.

“No one deserves to be treated this way and certainly not the homeless.

“My goal is to not only cover the costs of the items destroyed so that Neil can be without debt but also to replace the equipment necessary.”

Neil, 43, explained he sleeps in a night shelter during the winter, but returned to check on the tent ahead of the shelter’s seasonal closure next month.

However, he found the tent and equipment inside, worth £400, had been wrecked.

He said: “I don’t know what to do. I am devastated, that was my home.

“If I can’t live in woods in the middle of nowhere, where can I go?”

More: Homeless man ‘devastated’ after tent torched

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